Scarred By Time
by SingleDarkShade
Summary: Gideon awakes to find Rip alive, she is now controlling a building instead of her ship and that time has been changed so there are now no Heroes or Legends in the world. Their new mission is to fix everything but they're going to need some help.


Author's Note: Written to Rip Week 2019 For Day 7: Free Day – Anything goes, so do your own thing and give us whatever you like.  
I felt that this could have been used for several of the other days themes so I decided to use it for the Free Day.  
This story originally come from a small fic I wrote called TM Consultancy. This is the beginning of the expanded version that I will hopefully write the rest of at some point.

Enjoy.

* * *

"Captain Hunter?"

The surprised voice of Gideon when she came online made him smile, happy to have her back with him after what seemed like forever.

"Hello, Gideon," Rip said softly, "It is so good to hear your voice again."

"Please advise where we are and what has happened?" she demanded, before her voice softened, "How are you here? I believed you to be dead."

Rip grimaced slightly, "It's a long story but right now all that matters is that you're here with me. I want you to do a full system check and confirm that you have complete access to our new home."

A few seconds passed before Gideon replied, "All systems are working at peak efficiency. I assume the story you are not telling me includes why I'm currently controlling a building and not my ship."

He nodded, "I have a lot to tell you, Gideon. The Waverider is here, I have it in the basement but currently travelling through time is not an option."

"Why?"

"That's part of the story," Rip sighed, he closed his eyes and reached out to use the wall to keep himself upright.

"Captain?" Gideon called worriedly.

"I'm alright, Gideon," he assured, "Just tired. It's been a long few days getting you online again."

"Then the story you have to tell me can wait," Gideon told him, "You need to rest."

Rip smiled, it had been so long since he'd heard her concern for him, "I'm going to. I just needed to have you online before I could sleep."

x

Gideon watched her Captain as he staggered to his bed, he toed off his boots before dropping his jacket onto a chair then fell onto the bed. He lay face down drawing the blanket over himself and was unconscious within seconds.

Watching him, Gideon was confused and concerned to see how he was dressed. Rip was wearing his normal jeans but also a long-sleeved, high-necked shirt as well as a pair of leather gloves. Gideon knew her Captain, knew him better than anyone and this was not something he would normally wear. The gloves especially worried her.

Not that he had been wearing them as it made sense if he had been working, but the fact he hadn't removed them for sleeping was concerning her.

Taking in how Rip had his face buried into the pillow, Gideon knew that he would to sleep for some time. Putting aside all her questions for the moment, Gideon instead decided to investigate her new surroundings. The building had ten floors and she had access to all of them, finding the Waverider sitting powered down within the basement as Rip had told her.

She could sense the time core, but it somehow had a lock on it so that it could not be used. No matter how she tried to access it, she was stopped.

Intriguing.

Rip had transferred almost everything from the ship into the building, except the dream sensors which concerned her as he had never bothered about her ability to monitor his subconscious while asleep. However, he had included holographic emitters everywhere that would allow her to use her avatar throughout the entire building.

The fabricators had been integrated into the kitchen and a large otherwise empty room on the fifth floor. Finally, she moved to the infirmary, and found two cryogenic pods in use. Searching for who was in them Gideon was annoyed to find no information and unfortunately her sensors did not let her see inside them.

She had a lot of questions for when her Captain woke up.

* * *

Rip sighed happily when he woke up, feeling better than he had in weeks.

"Good morning, Captain," the welcome voice of his best friend came making him smile, "You have slept for nearly sixteen hours."

Getting off the bed, Rip stretched wincing slightly at the few cracks he heard.

"After you have a shower, I shall make you some breakfast," Gideon told him.

Rip stalled, looking down at the gloves he was still wearing and knew he had no option but to tell her.

"Before I…" Rip trailed off taking a deep breath, "There's something I need to tell you but it's part of a bigger story."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't tell me until you've had breakfast," Gideon noted.

Sighing he replied, "I wish it could wait but for me to have my shower you're going to see."

"See what?"

Slowly Rip removed his gloves, holding out his hands showing Gideon the scars that ran along his hands up under his sleeves. Before Gideon could ask Rip pulled his shirt off letting her see the criss-cross of scars along his torso.

"Rip," his best friend's voice was filled with horror at what she saw, "How did this happen?"

"It's part of the long story," he breathed, "But I'm okay. I promise."

Gideon was silent for several moments before she asked, "How much of your body is scarred?"

He sighed, "My face and neck are basically the only thing that isn't. I cover up and no one can see them."

There was silence for several minutes before Gideon spoke again, "Have your shower and I shall make you breakfast, Captain. We will talk once you're ready."

x

Rip leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea. Showered and dressed he had once again completely covered the scars that enveloped his body, mostly so he didn't have to see them. He hadn't just been hiding them from Gideon.

"Okay," he sighed, "I suppose I should let you know what happened and why we're now here in Star City inhabiting a building in the 21st Century."

"That would allow me to assist you," Gideon told him.

Rip smiled slightly before asking, "What is your last memory before I reactivated you."

"Miss Lance was speaking with Dr Palmer," Gideon said, "She had been having an extremely bad day and was talking about how much she wished to see her father and sister again. She then spoke about how she felt her decision to go on the Queens Gambit was the start of the path which led to their loss."

"And she wished that she had never gone," Rip said softly.

"Yes."

Letting out a long sigh, "It wasn't Ray she was speaking to but a Djinn. The first Djinn to be specific. It used her wish to recreate the world from that point, a fixed point in time, removing the Bureau and a lot of the world's heroes."

"Is that why we are here?" Gideon asked, "I assume you were injured and stayed away to heal after you survived the overloading of the core. But how would you remember the team if time has been altered?"

Sighing he shrugged, "I didn't survive, Gideon. The time core destroyed me, it's where the scars are from because I was torn apart by the energy."

"So, the wish the Djinn granted brought you back?" scepticism filled her voice.

"Nope," he became very interested in the contents of his mug, "Time did."

"There are moments, Captain, that I enjoy your flair for the dramatic," Gideon noted, "However, this is not one of them. Explain."

"It turns out, what none of us knew, is that Time itself has a physical manifestation when he wants to," Rip explained, "And since the Djinn's interference in the time stream was so great, which has had and will continue to have consequences like no changes before ever have, he put me back together to try to fix it."

Silence filled the room again and Rip waited for a few moments before he continued his story.

"Because of what the wish changed, the fact it was a fixed point," Rip continued, "Time can't do anything himself without destroying the universe. What we need is to find the Djinn again and have Sara take back her wish."

"How can we do that?" Gideon asked.

"I made a deal with Time."

"You bartered with Time itself?" amusement filled Gideon's voice, "That should surprise me, Captain but it doesn't. What did you get from your deal?"

Rip smiled, "I got you. I asked for the Waverider, although we're stuck in this time period for now. You'll also have noticed the two cryogenic tubes in the infirmary, I thought we might need some help. And I asked to be given some time to set up fully."

"How long have you been here, Captain?"

Rip gave a sad smile, "Three years."

"Do you know where Miss Lance is?" Gideon asked, knowing his previous statement was something he currently didn't want to discuss.

Rip nodded, "Which is why I settled in Star City. She is however a little young at the moment and the others haven't arrived in the city yet. I need to set up a business that we can use to bring the team together."

"That makes sense," Gideon told him, "What kind of business do you feel you could run, Captain?"

"I created an entire Time Travel Organisation," Rip reminded her annoyance in his voice, "I know how to do this. Besides I have you this time to help me." He could feel her smugness before Rip continued, "We are going to be a Think Tank, tackling problems for all businesses. Which is how I can hire the rest of the team, considering their diverse specialities."

Realising his tea was now cold, Rip made himself another one waiting for the inevitable question.

"Who are in the cryogenic chambers, Captain?"

Finishing making his tea, Rip tapped a few controls allowing her access to the information.

"Captain?"

"Both have unique insights that we'll need," Rip noted, "I just hope I can persuade them to help."

* * *

Gideon left her Captain working on installing the dream sensors. Now that he had given her the full story, he was happy for her to monitor and enter his dreams once more. Studying the building, Gideon began to formulate a plan.

The length of time her Captain had been alone setting this building up concerned her. Even though the Time Masters insisted that their Captains have no ties, they understood the fact that a connection of some kind was required to keep their sanity which was why each was assigned an AI to watch over them.

The bond between AI and Captain was important but her bond with Captain Hunter was special and had become so much deeper than any other. They were connected in a way she didn't understand, and his death had hurt her deep in her matrix that she still couldn't comprehend it fully. He needed her too and this time Gideon would look after him properly, the way she should have before.

"Okay," Rip's voice brought her to him, "I have installed the dream sensors."

"Excellent, Captain," Gideon told him, "Please come to the fabrication room on the fifth floor."

Rip gave a confused frown, "Why?"

"I have something for you," she told him adding before he could say anything else, "Please, just do as I ask."

He shrugged then headed to the elevator. Once there he walked to the fabrication room.

"I'm here," Rip said looking around, "What do you have for me?"

The fabricator activated, and he looked confused as he lifted out the gloves Gideon had made for him.

"I already have a pair," Rip noted, looking at the thin brown leather gloves he was holding.

"Put them on, Captain," Gideon ordered.

Knowing it pointless arguing with her, Rip sighed, "Fine."

He peeled off the gloves he was wearing, trying not to look at the criss-cross of lines covering his hands, before sliding the new ones on. Surprised by how comfortable they felt and how much easier they moved, almost as though they were a second skin, "These are great, Gideon."

"I am glad you approve," she stated, activating the holo-emitters appearing before him in her human form.

Rip stared surprised to see her use this avatar.

"Okay," he said bemused and a little suspicious, "What are you doing?"

Gideon smiled at him, "Hold out your hand." Confused Rip stared at her making Gideon roll her eyes, "Just do as I ask, Captain."

Rip let out an annoyed sigh but held his right hand out in front of him, his eyes widening when Gideon took his hand in hers.

"What?"

"I included sensors in the glove to allow you to feel my touch," Gideon smiled at him, "This will allow me to work as an assistant that can be seen while we build up the business."

Rip stared at her, "You can touch me?"

"And you can touch me," Gideon replied, "Or anything I wish to give you."

Slowly he reached out, gently cradling her cheek with his left hand smiling when Gideon leaned into his touch.

"I can feel you," Rip whispered achingly.

Gideon squeezed his hand and gave him a smile, "I can include the sensors in all your clothes if you wish."

Slowly, Rip nodded stroking her cheek and sliding his fingers through her hair, "These are amazing."

A smile crossed her face and Gideon squeezed his hand again, "Now I believe it is time to waken the others."

x

Rip headed to the room with the cryochambers, still trying to get his head around the fact he was able to interact with Gideon on a physical level. It was incredible.

He had missed her for so long, he spent a long time talking to her when she couldn't reply that to not only have her here but to be able to touch him was…

"Captain," she spoke up, "Are you joining me or not?"

He grinned and bounded up the last few stairs, "Okay, I'm here."

The door opened and Rip smiled to see Gideon standing there, he guessed that she liked this form and he would be seeing her like this a great deal from now on.

"Who are we waking first?" Gideon asked.

Rip frowned in thought before shrugging, "Mr Rory seems to be the best option. He has the most knowledge of time travel, due to his time as Chronos, and will be able to understand what happened. I hope."

"He may be surprised to see you," Gideon told him, "And considering what the team were dealing may not believe it is you."

"Mick trying to kill me," Rip mused, "What else is new?"

"Captain," she scolded.

Rip smiled at her, before he reached out and touched her arm because he could.

"Okay," he moved to the controls, "Let's defrost Mr Rory."

x

Gideon watched her Captain closely as they woke the man once known as Chronos. His time as the bounty hunter still haunted him but the knowledge that came with it had helped the team on many occasions. Not that they realised this, Mick tended to do things from the back and get the others to where they needed to get to without them realising.

Standing at her Captain's side they watched the large man slowly open his eyes, looking around confused.

"Welcome back, Mr Rory," Rip said, bringing the other man's attention to him.

Mick stared at Rip for several seconds before starting menacingly forward, stopping confused when he hit the forcefield Gideon erected quickly.

"Hunter is dead. Who are you?" Mick snarled.

"This may be hard to believe, Mr Rory," Rip said, "But I am alive, and I need your help."

Mick stared at him unmoving, "How did you survive the explosion of the time core?"

Gideon could see the discomfort in her Captain at the question, so took over quickly.

"It is a long story, Mr Rory," she said.

Mick stared at her for several minutes before asking, "Gideon?"

She nodded, "Yes, Mr Rory. I decided this form would be advantageous for our new mission."

"Which is?" Mick demanded.

Rip gave a slight smile, "What else, saving time and the Legends."

Mick let out an amused snort, "Of course it is. What did the morons do this time?"

"I'll explain once I wake my second guest," Rip told him, "But I might need your help to persuade him I'm me."

x

Rip folded his arms waiting while John finished his spell, the other man looking concerned when nothing happened.

"Are you done yet?" Rip asked.

John leaned back in his chair, arms folded unconsciously mirroring the other man still staring at Rip suspiciously, "And you expect me to believe you're Rip Hunter? When he himself told me what overloading the time core would do to someone."

"He's got a point," Mick noted from his seat.

Rip let out a long sigh.

"Captain," Gideon spoke up, "Perhaps you should show them. Let them understand fully."

Dropping his eyes, especially at the interested stares from the two men.

"And after that you can explain Gideon's new look," John said before adding, "Not that I'm complaining of course."

Rip turned to Gideon, looking for comfort as he drew his glove off and pulled the sleeve up along his arm showing the scars on his body.

"Bloody hell," John spat as he propelled himself out of his chair, "You look like…"

"You were torn apart," Mick finished for him, looking up at Rip he stared at him hard, "What put you back together?"

Sliding his glove back on and fixing his sleeve, Rip began to talk. Explaining everything to them.

"I told them," John snapped, slamming his hand off the table, "I bloody told them to be careful what they said until we stopped the bloody thing." He shook his head, "Honestly, it's a miracle they survived as long as they did."

Mick nodded in agreement.

"To be fair to Sara," Rip said, "The Djinn did ensure she had several terrible days. We're just lucky she didn't wish she'd never been born."

John nodded in agreement before asking, "What's the plan?"

* * *

Gideon stood waiting for Rip to get dressed. Although her cameras could see everything anyway, she kept her back turned in her human form. She knew that he felt uncomfortable for her to see the scars that covered him.

Not that they mattered to her, all Gideon cared about was that her Captain was with her once more.

"Okay," he said, she turned to face him, "Shall we see if this works?"

Gideon nodded, she reached out and drew her hand along his arm watching the amazement cover his face at her touch.

"Oh, Gideon," Rip whispered, tears filling his eyes at the connection. Something she knew he hadn't had in a long time, something he needed but would never admit to anyone. Not even her.

"As long as you wear the clothes with sensors in them, you shall be able to feel my touch." She gave him a smile, "And I would like to try something, Captain if you will allow my indulgence."

Confused he nodded, letting out a soft gasp when Gideon wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, her head resting against his shoulder. Rip hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her too, sliding his hand through her hair.

"I missed you so much, Gideon," Rip whispered to her, "And this is a gift I never could have imagined."

Gideon smiled, the sensors providing the feedback to allow her to feel him as well. They held on to one another for a while before Gideon moved away.

"We have a great deal of work to do, Captain," she said softly, "And Mr Constantine is on his way to speak with you."

Rip nodded, reaching out he rested his hand on his cheek, "My Gideon."

Turning her head slightly, Gideon placed a soft kiss on his thumb, "Always, Rip."

x

Rip called to come at the knock on the door.

"What can I do for you, John?" Rip asked as the other man walked into his room, "You're not here to try and exorcise me again I hope."

"No," John said as he wandered the mostly bare bedroom, "But I've been thinking over everything you told us."

Rip nodded and started out the room with John following him. He knew John would pick up on it, but he'd hoped to have a few days at least before the other man caught on.

"And?" Rip asked.

John caught Rip's arm stopping him, "If we do get Sara to take back her wish then everything goes back to the way it was, right?"

"That is correct."

Frowning John demanded, "Where does that leave you?"

"John…"

"Rip," John snapped, "When things go back to the way they were, what happens to you?"

"Exactly what you're thinking," Rip shrugged before sighing, "My purpose was to protect the timeline. I gave everything for it, even my life. You saw the scars, John. I'm a patchwork person only here to fix things one more time. This just gives me a little more time to spend with Gideon." Rip paused holding out his hand, not able to see the scars as his gloves covered them, "He promised this time it won't hurt as much."

John suddenly asked, "It hurt?" before wincing at the stupidity of his question.

Rip looked up at his friend and shrugged again, "Time energy ripped me apart, John. Yes, it hurt."

John looked as though he was about to say something else but, instead he clapped Rip's arm, Then I guess we have some work ahead of us."


End file.
